I was mildly surprised to notice first one, then another, of our Christmas cactuses beginning to set buds again. Most of them bloom between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, with a couple of pale pink varieties showing up more around Easter. So flowers at the end of February or early March are a bit unusual.

It was snowing, tiny, insistent flakes thickening the air, the better part of two days. The snow was beautiful as it tucked around the landscape like a fresh down comforter and decorated branches and needles with a lacy touch — at least until the wind picked up. The thought of the sumptuous, silken blooms of the cactus, in a rich shade of fuchsia, is a welcome contrast.

I find the bold color of the pending blooms thrilling, enlivening. The sheer design and drama of the shape and color cause an intake of breath and a sigh of appreciation.

This time of year we can be of two minds: retreat or wake? This kind of blanketing snow makes hibernation look like a fine option. Much of our national politics also argues for burrowing underground.

I don’t actually know what was meant by the recently reassigned word “woke.” I originally assumed it meant something like “aware of injustices.” But somehow, certain groups have seized on this word as an emblem of a terrible “progressive woke agenda.” Some governors, legislatures and even Congress are apparently considering and passing rules and laws banning “woke” ideas.

The most recent example I came across was preventing pension fund managers from considering and factoring in impacts on the environment in their investing decisions. Oh, for heaven’s sake. No, for Earth’s sake!

It doesn’t take much scratching to get down to the self-interests at work here: corporations that don’t want their earth-threatening profits curtailed; brokers and bankers fixated on the highest possible returns, collateral damage be damned. It was just reported that Citgo posted record net profits of $2.8 billion over the past year.

Politicians who want to paint a threatening picture to alarm their followers into outrage pick up and twist the word to suit. The origins of the term in the Black Lives Matter movement gives another clue as to why and how it has been co-opted.

If being “woke” means working to share and care, across the board and around the block, I am puzzled by the fear this idea arouses. Many of the people decrying the term would in fact benefit more than most from revised policies and programs that protect and support health and livelihoods.

Many of the world’s religions and philosophies espouse awakening as a virtue. Those pushing this fear, using terrifying ideas like “systemic discrimination” or “socialized medicine” (which doesn’t exist in this country), are really defending their own hillocks of power and privilege, disconnected from common social qualities such as compassion, equity or community. Corrupting the concept of waking up to insight, knowledge and compassion is a dastardly act.

Personally, I am grateful for each day I wake up. I try to dodge the seven deadly sins, especially the greed and envy parts. I try to gauge how my actions and desires might affect others and the earth; I try to count blessings often so I am moved to share.

There are so very many people close and far for whom the fear is palpable — hunger lurking, illness threatening, bombs bursting, water drying up, physical danger based on gender or skin color threatening. The least I can do is be aware of these issues. Of course it is uncomfortable. But awareness can lead to action, and every positive action no matter how small, matters.

Maybe the day will come where toxic distortions of once-dear values do not overtake common sense and common decency. In the meantime, enjoy any dormancy that nourishes your strength. And, then, when your energy is renewed, rebloom however you can. You are needed. Awake.

Judy Wagner lives in Northfield. This piece is dedicated to Lloyd who thinks deeply about important issues and asks good questions. 

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